Sorry for the LONG read,
but this was an AWESOME hunt I just had to share..Headed to a stand I had seen good buck sign at Saturday morning in a DENSE fog. Had a little trouble finding it in the soup but finally got settled in @6:15, a little late but it was still pretty foggy so I figured I was OK. The fog finally broke @ 6:45 and looked to be a pretty nice day, although a little warm. Not much moving but squirrels until 7:15 I hear the splish splash of a deer crossing the small creek directly BEHIND me. I look back over my shoulder and a NICE high rack eight is walking straight for my tree. Nothing I can do at that point but be still as he walked DIRECTLY under my tree, on my off (right) side and started crunching on acorns. I then noticed he had a long double main beam on the right side..a really cool looking deer! Man I wanted that deer!!
But I was frozen with him SO close just watching him eat..Finally he looked back the way he had come and I stood up. He crunched a few more acorns and looked back again, I grabbed my bow. Now I was ready, but he just stood there, eating without a care in the world it seemed, right at the base of my tree on my bad side. I knew if I tried to draw he would bust me so I just waited. (VERY hard to do, haha). I figured he would walk onto the ridge eventually, maybe check the 2 scrapes just in front of me? Seemed like HOURS I just looked down on him as he stood there crunching away, but was only about 5 minutes. Man what a nice beautiful Buck!! Now he alerted?, WTH?..did he smell me?,
That’s what I figured, he was SO close. But He was focused on the ridge, ears flared, looking at SOMETHING??.
Then he just turned and trotted back the way he came??..Talk about being bummed out, my heart sank..I had blown it!!..well not quite. The 8 had seen another buck coming down the ridge and decided to leave I guess? I hear him coming now, then see him, a “decent” Public land buck (for a bow anyway). Not nearly as nice as the 8, but he would do. I have not even pulled my bow string on one so far this year. I watched this guy make a new scrape and work another (very cool), then beeline straight at me to stop and work a scrape maybe 15-20 yards in front of me. While he was “pre-occupied I drew, put the pin of the Keller low on the crease of his shoulder and let fly. He tore out of there and stopped at the creek and just stood there? I was sick, how could I have missed so close??..then he started slowly walking off and just fell over! I got down and found my broken arrow in the scrape, complete pass through.
I followed a CRAZY blood trail to the deer. I had put the RAGE (1st time shooting a RAGE) right through his heart and out low in the middle of his chest (see pic). One of the most exciting bow hunts I have ever had!!! I can’t wait to get back after that double beam eight though. I LOVE bow hunting!! Thanks for reading.
Andy
Deer Attractant Reviews